What to expect on your taxes if you received the CERB or CRB

Anyone who received either the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) will receive a T4A slip for this income by the end of February and will need to report this income on their personal tax return.

As a result of COVID-19, the Government of Canada established the CERB and the CRB. The CERB ended as of October 2020 when the federal government then introduced the CRB. If you received the CERB, the federal government did not withhold any taxes from these payments so you will most likely have a tax bill this spring as a result of receiving this benefit.

The CRB gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are directly affected by COVID-19 and are not entitled to Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. If you are eligible for the CRB, you can receive $1,000 ($900 after taxes withheld) for a 2-week period. Taxes are withheld by the federal government for CRB payments.

For more information about the CERB or CRB, please contact your local Avail office or email our Avail CPA Help Desk.

For a complete list of our COVID-19 resources for individuals and businesses, please visit availcpa.com/resources